Pessimistic Galway fans endure familiar fate

This time it wasn’t different.

Since their re-emergence as a hurling power in 1975, Galway have reached 14 All-Ireland hurling finals. Rarely has their presence been accompanied by more hype than this year. The manner of the semi-final win over Tipp seemed to light a fire under things in the west. Yesterday’s match almost resembled a home match for Galway.

In 2012, their semi-final win was a less memorable affair. A goalless five-point win over a novice Cork team, who had done well to get that far. It was the Leinster final from 2012 that has lodged itself in the public memory, when they gobbled up Kilkenny in front of a strikingly small Galway crowd.